Sewer-block



A. 0. STENWiCK.

SEWER BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-28,1918.

1,326,617. Patented Dec. 30,1919.

ALBERT 0. STENWICK, 0F RED WING, MINNESOTA.

SEWER-BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Application filed March 28, 1918. Serial No. 225.145.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT O. STENWIOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Red Wing, in the county of Goodhue and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Sewer-Block, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to blocks for the construction of sewers and other structures for which blocks of burned clay or concrete may be used.

The main objects of the invention are, to provide extra strong, durable segmental blocks for the construction of large sewers, and to so construct the blocks that they may be burned without cracking.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a large sewer constructed of my improved blocks. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the bottom blocks of the sewer seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged portion of Fig. 1 show.- ing a modification of the inside structure of the blocks. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of two of the wedges employed to lend firmness to the joints of the blocks.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, it will be observed in Fig. 1 that the inner faces 5 of the blocks 6 in the main upper part of the sewer are plain segmental faces with a curvature corresponding to the radius of the sewer; but the blocks 7 forming the lower part of the sewer have their inner or upward segmental faces formed with longitudinal grooves 8 for more or less water to run along many or few of them and thus move the sewage along with the force of water running in a channel and not like water having lost its force by being spread thinly upon a broad surface forming the bottom of a sewer.

As best shown in Fig. 3, but also in Fig. 1, the adj acent j oined edges or sides of the blocks are each formed with two ribs 10, 11, each of which is formed with a V-shaped groove in which to receive a Vshaped edge of the adjacent ribs of the other block, said ribs having also adjacent fiat faces 12 and 13 with an intervening space between them, and in said space are tightly inserted overlapping wedges 14 and these are driven home in cement mortar so as to hold the ribs 10, 11 firmly in the grooves and thereby give great rigidity to the sewer against both inward and outward pressure. The wedges 14 are made of the same kind of material as the blocks. To make the V-shaped edges of the ribs more substantial both for handling and for service they are blunt or trunked as best shown in Fig. 8.

Each block is provided at one end with a groove and at the other end with a corresponding rib or extension so that the ex tension of one block will fit into the groove of the next block. Said extension, as shown in Fig. 2, has one longitudinal face 15, one slanting face 16 and an end face 17 The main body of the clock consists of a hollow shell, of concrete or clay, reinforced with longitudinal webs 18, 19, 20 and 21 so placed that they will help to resist pressure upon any and all sides of the block. When the blocks are made of clay the webs form longitudinal ducts which allow the heat to enter in the burning process so as to make the material swell uniformly and thus avoid cracking. The webs are of about the same thickness as the outer shell and therefore any process will equally aifect all parts of the block.

Each block has three webs 18, 19 and 20 lying in radial direction to the sewer (see Figs. 1 and 2), the web 20 being integral with the inner shell, and the webs 18 and 19 being integral with the outer shell of the blocks. Said webs 18, 19 and 20 are connected together by an integral zig-zag partition or web 21 which is also integral with the sides of the block. If so desired the arrangement of webs 18, 19 and 20 may be reversed, as shown in Fig. 3; thus the web 20 is integral with the outer shell and the webs 18 and 19 are integral with the inner shell of the block.

In building the sewer suitable cement mortar is applied to all joints to make the structure water-tight, and during the construction work the ducts between the shell and partitions of the block may serve as escape ducts for water which will often enter into the trench, in which the sewer is being built.

It is evident that this construction of block is applicable not only to sewer construction but also for building blocks of concrete, tile or artificial stone used in silos and buildings in general, and especially where the wall, roof, ceiling or floor involved is of arched or curved form.

What I claim is:

1. In a hollow sewer block, the combination of convex and concave parallel spaced walls and radial side walls connecting the edges of said parallel walls, a plurality of radial ribs extending from one of the curved walls toward the opposite curved wall and terminating nearer one curved wall than the other, another radial rib extending from the second curved wall toward the space between two of the first mentioned ribs, and a web extendingbetween the radial side walls and forming inclined supporting webs between the edges of the radial ribs.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, said two radial ribs extending inward from the outer curved wall toward the inner curved wall, and the single rib extending from the inner curved wall toward the outer one.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALBERT O. STENVVICK. 

